


Stories of the Second Self: Just Do It

by John_Steiner



Series: Alter Idem [16]
Category: Urban Fantasy - Fandom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-01
Updated: 2020-02-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:40:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22503409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/John_Steiner/pseuds/John_Steiner
Summary: Lillian sprinted nonstop for miles, because the men pursuing her in their trucks and motorcycles wanted her dead. How little they knew.
Series: Alter Idem [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1618813





	Stories of the Second Self: Just Do It

Mist grew in the dusk, as she did more than ran. Lillian sprinted. For miles, she sprinted well beyond the distance those chasing her could've maintained. They'd taken to pursuing her on motorcycles and four-wheel-drive trucks.

Past dead trees Lillian’s feet carried her along a winding path, when the first set of headlights rose up into view. Standing on the bed of the truck and anchored in place with bungee cords, a man fired a rifle at her. The bullet streaked by with a heat trail that seared into her vision.

"Goddammit!" the shooter cried, "Keep it fuckin' steady!"

"Tell the ground not me," the driver shot back.

Lillian knew there was a wooded area, but couldn't see it with the mist obscuring her view. Two bikers sped ahead of the truck, flanking either side. If just she could get to the woods things would be better. Nightfall came, and then she saw the first glimpse of dense foliage.

At last!

Without heed of what else might be in the forest, Lillian rushed straight in and started darting between trees. She lost direct line of sight with her pursuers, and heard their engines throttle down.

"Fuck!" one cursed, "Can't get the truck in there!"

"And I'm sure not risking our bikes in that shit," someone else said.

"Well, unless you wanna walk in there," the driver said, "I think we're done for the night."

"Bullshit," the shooter from the truck shouted, "We're not done. We don't stop until she does."

"She's never gonna stop," the biker replied, "She doesn't have to. Not for around thirteen hours at least."

"And indefinitely, under that cover," the driver added.

"On foot then," the shooter ordered, "Let's go."

Lillian heard the shooter jump off the truck, and two others set their bike kickstands. Then, she peeked to see them pacing toward the woods. Ducking back, she looked around for an escape route.

Everything stood out to Lillian. Little animals and birds were glowing brightly enough they illuminated the few inches around them. Deer cast their own light out as far as several feet. Bats seemed like will-o-wisps. Even the ground had its own faint glow from the daylight warmth.

Yeah, she could do this. This was Lillian’s advantage, not theirs.

From behind, came the unnatural light cast by Maglites and other flashlights mounted on guns. Lillian dashed off, invoking enough sound that she knew they had to have heard it.

Sure enough the chase was on again, and Lillian thought she heard the baying of a hound. That was problematic.

Discovering an open patch, covered overhead heavily by elder trees, she stood there waiting.

"Got her!" one shouted.

That was Lillian’s cue to bolt again. She dashed into a dense thicket of young trees and waited within a hole in the night. She heard his steps tromping toward her, and saw his glow. Closer, closer....

First, Lillian grabbed his wrist and squeezed hard, breaking numerous bones. Then, she ripped him off his feet into her place of hiding. With her other hand, she squeezed his throat so tight he couldn't even gag. About the time she saw his glow fading the dog burst into the clearing.

Chancing a peek, Lillian noticed even the dog had a hard time seeing in the dark, yet she could make it out clearly. It was time to take the one and only strong sense from the hunting party.

Stomping a twig, Lillian got the dog's attention. It ran straight at the source of the sound. Once within reach, she snatched it up by the gruff and then wrapped both hands around its neck. It got out one yelp before she broke the spine.

"Dammit, she got the dog!" the shooter yelled, and went into a run.

Picking a new hiding spot, Lillian ascended a tree with ease. Despite all the past exertion, she wasn't remotely out of breath, but she felt a bit weaker than before. She'd have to do something about that, and her first opportunity was approaching fast.

"Wait up," one of the motorcycle hunters called out, "Let us catch up!"

Too late, as the shooter happened to get within a couple yards of the tree Lillian was in. Dropping some twenty feet, she landed right behind him, and threw a light punch to the back of his head. She had his rifle out of his hands before he hit the ground.

Repetitively, Lillian worked the bolt action to unload the rifle, and then tossed it aside. She'd have broken it in half against a tree, but that was louder than she wanted.

Next, Lillian picked the shooter up in one hand and pulled his head back. Her teeth sank into his neck, and the richness of his life flowed like syrup into her mouth.

"Mmm...," Lillian cooed, taking her fill, before dropping him. "That's better."

Having a thought, Lillian went over to his rifle and picked it up. One of the bikers was heading her way, and so she darted over to hide behind a tree. Just as the biker appeared and saw her, she grabbed his pistol, and shoved the rifle barrel into his stomach, slamming him into another trunk. The barrel end thudded against the bark, having penetrated most of his innards.

Gaping, his wide eyes appeared not to be able to see past the pain. Lillian quickly pulled him aside, and propped him up against the opposite side of a tree from where the last two were coming from.

Still in possession of his handgun, Lillian figured that playtime was over. The infrared of both men's body heat stood out as much as their flashlights. With a pop, she fired at one, grazing his head.

He dropped and reached for the wound, screaming, "Fuckin' hell! That's me, you fucking moron!"

"I know," whispered in the dark and squeezed off two more shots.

The second exploded from the other side of his head, the heat of white phosphorous rounds injecting as much energy as the bullet's velocity.

The last man panned his flashlight across the source of gunfire. He swept past Lillian once, and then brought the light back to her. She taunted him by waving the gun up for him to see. It must have been her face that really freaked him out, and he just ran.

However, he didn't get far, as she heard him smack right into a tree. Casually, Lillian strolled over to him. He was conscious, but looked out of it. His eyes wavered around, until she leveled the handgun at him.

"The night is my time," Lillian warned, "You should've let it be. Before, I would've just fed off people at random, but I think I'll start with your families until I run out."

A final pop rang out, and the spent shell ejected to clatter lightly against the roots exposed from the dirt.


End file.
